Nancy's
Story
My
name is Nancy Hearn. In 2004, I lost my husband of 20 years
to a long-term
illness. I had two teenagers at home; the hospitals, doctors,
and funeral costs
had taken all of our savings. I spent the next two years
worrying about money
and life.
Then, I decided to take back life and move forward. I was
ready to
Take A Chance and make
the most of the blessings I had been given. I
started looking at things differently. I thanked God for
everything...my children,
friends, job, everything I could think of. Every day, on
my way to work, I would
run through the list of my blessings and all I was grateful
for.
Now
I want to pass on my blessings and optimism to you.
Take A Chance is my reminder to you to
live life to the fullest -
with
no
regrets. Make a positive change in your life and the lives
of others.
Inspire someone else with our simple messages.
Enjoy!
My
take a chance was leaving my insurance career of 18 years
to go back to college to get my masters in social work.
In my previous career, the difference I made if I worked
really hard was that I made more money for my agents who
then bought bigger boats, cars or diamonds for their wives.
Now I work with seniors and the difference I can make if
I do my job right is to talk Beverly into going to hospital
because it appears she has pneumonia; read Jenny a letter
from her grandson because she can't read anymore; encourage
Bob who cares for his wife with Alzheimer's; help Anne find
a good place for her sister who needs assisted living; give
Howard and become good friends through his chemo; introduce
new residents to new friends with similar interests; help
Veto up from falling; the list goes on. Can't tell you how
rewarding my new life, not my new career, but my daily life
is since I took a chance. Thanks for letting me share.
-Leslie Fuller
I
was 22 years old with a new born baby. My husband at the
time was an abusive alcoholic. It was nothing new to experience
pain, hurt, and sadness in my daily life. On October 5th,
I decided that enough was enough after my husband called
me a derogatory name and threw my 5 week old son at me.
He left in a tizzy, and I ran into the bedrooms, gathered
up a few items, took my son,and ran into the rain for the
last time. I was going to finally go to my parent's house.
No more driving by and wanting to go in...this time I was
truly leaving. As I ran out into the rain, he met me walking
into the apartment. He asked where I was going, and I said,
'To get cigarettes.' He did not notice the bags, thankfully.
I got in my Amigo, let out a huge sigh of relief and left.
I never went back again.
My life started that night. I became a single mother, living
with her parents, given a new handful of chances, simply
by taking One Chance. My life has taken many turns since
then. I have remarried, had another son, wrote and published
a book, and watched my business flourish. My husband and
I are getting our bachelor degrees together, opening a German
Shepherd kennel, and adopting a little girl this fall.
I do have to say that just because you take ONE chance,
does not mean that God will not throw you many other times
to take a chance. Just because everything is going well,
doesn't mean that you don't take a leap of faith, or that
your mind and spirit are not tested. I know that if things
are going well, or that I am unhappy, I must follow His
lead and make a change, no matter how uncomfortable it may
be for me or the people around me.
Had I not left that rainy night in 1995, I may not have
been here to type this. Be willing to Take A Chance, in
your lightest or darkest moment, and you will be surprised
at what God hands you.
Thank you Nancy for following your heart to Take A Chance.
-Rebecca Foster
At
some point most of us have had to take a chance. This isn't
a story about taking one big chance. Life throws us lots
of curve balls and we can choose to give up or take a chance
and persevere.
My story starts off six months into my marriage. My husband
Barry was in a car accident which led to a lifetime addiction
to prescription drugs and ultimately alcohol abuse. We were
known in the neighborhood, area hospitals, and other places
as the family with the hopeless alcoholic. I did all I could
in my own power to survive. I took a chance and went to
Al-Anon and to a Christian twelve step group. I went to
boundary classes and I found out that I was not alone. There
were many others who were taking a chance to get emotionally
and spiritually healthy.
I finally separated from my husband. After a year apart
we got back together and two weeks later he started drinking
again. Once again I asked him to leave. Shortly after, I
found out that I was pregnant with our fifth child. I did
not want to bring another child into our home under these
circumstances. God had other plans. I did all I could to
try and have this baby adopted before she was born. My husband
would not let me and without his permission it was not possible.
He stopped drinking and we went to counseling.
We were still separated at the time of Sophia's birth. Barry
was there at the hospital and he guessed her weight exactly
and cut her umbilical cord. He prayed and told me everything
would be okay. He looked at me and said"Let's take
a chance".
We got back together and things were going better than we
had hoped for. Almost eighteen years of marriage and many
struggles and we still loved each other as much as ever.
Just five and a half months after we were back together
the Lord called Barry home unexpectedly at 3:00am on March
4, 1998 We would not have had that time together if we had
not taken a chance. I was left with five children ages five
and a half months, four, six, ten, and twelve.
There has been heartache and joy on this challenging journey
of single parenting. Our children have had to face obstacles
of their own including the death of their father. Along
the way there have been numerous opportunities to take chances.
Some have turned out well, others not so well. Taking a
chance has been as simple as introducing myself to someone
new and as big as sending a troubled teenager away for awhile.
As with all chances there has to be a step of faith. When
you feel the prompting of the Holy Spirit, pray, act, and
trust. You never know where that chance will take you. Whether
a job change, a relationship change, a personal change a
physical change, etc. you may never know where you could've
been if you don't take the chance.
Peggy Heckey
It's
been 25 years since my then 12 year old daughter and I began
our journey from St Louis to Kansas City to build a multi
million dollar cosmetic company.
People
often ask me how I had the courage, as a single parent,
to quit my 15 year employment with the Federal government
(security) and move to a place where I knew no one, AND
live on commission only?
Answer
- It' wasn't based on courage, it was based on FAITH. As
an Aloette beauty consultant and manager in St Louis, the
seed had been planted to purchase a franchise and take a
wonderful product and opportunity for women to Kansas City.
The seed took root when my President in St Louis told me
someone else was interested in buying the Kansas City territory.
The
motivation to take action was out of the fear of losing
something that had just been a thought! Proving the saying
that motivation is initiated by pain or gain.
After
making the call and completing the deal to purchase the
Franchise, real fear set in. Like "Who do you think
you are"? That question was answered the following
Sunday morning when I sat down in front of the TV and saw
Robert Schuller begin his sermon on "Taking Risks".
I knew it was God telling me to GO! Go to Kansas City and
build a multi million dollar company that will make a difference
in people lives personally, financially and spiritually.
God
is the true author of dreams.
Have
a dream? You know where it comes from! Let faith drive the
dream. Make the decision and be committed. Your commitment
will generate enthusiasm and creativity. Share your dream
with conviction and others will buy in.
The
past 25 years in Aloette of Kansas City has been characterized
by persistence, perseverance, a Top Ten Franchise in the
United States and the ability to respond to change. Why
do I keep on keeping on? The dream that God gave me….we're
not quite there yet!
Cheri
Dougherty
Kansas City
It
was on Valentine's Day that the police arrested my husband
and put a "no contact order" in place for the next
year. It was during that time, that I decided that there was
nothing left to repair and I had to take a leap of faith &
get out while I could. It was the scariest feeling ever.....
A single mom of a 12 year old son & 9 year old daughter
who are now 17 & 14. My parents who live close by &
were NOT supportive and blamed me....they told me I should
stay in the marriage no matter how bad it was....even if it
was until the kids were out of school. I also took a vow in
front of God "for better or worse." With no support
from them and them blaming me, I felt I was making the wrong
decision.....here's the rest of the story:
I knew that being on my own would be difficult, scary, lonely,
tough and financially draining. Living in a small town made
rumors spread like WILD FIRE too!!! Which made it hard on
me and the kids! I thought,"Did I do the right thing?
Maybe they would stop gossiping if I change my mind and stay
married!!"
FOR ANY OF YOU THAT HAVE FELT LIKE THIS....READ ON!!!
I had been an Aloette Consultant for 12 years and really just
"played" around with the business and never really
took it seriously.....because I was a stay-at-home-mom the
whole time! The time came 5 years ago for me to make a very
important decision for MY future as well as my childrens future.
Do I get a "normal" job or do Aloette as a career?
WELL, I TOOK A CHANCE, believed in the company, the products
and with that, began to believe in myself!!!
Within the past five years, I have more than doubled/tripled
my income allowing me to completely remodel my home inside
& out with CASH (and I did most of the work myself...the
library has great books to learn from)... be debt free PLUS
earn numerous vacations, prizes, trips & awards and in
January 2008 earned a brand new car through Aloette! WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!......To
anyone thinking of taking a chance! Whether it's 5 years or
25 years, don't ever wonder "What if I would have done........."
I can still be an "at home mom" and have a career
that gives me the income I need and the flexibility too!
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AND WHATEVER YOU CHOOSE TO DO WITH YOUR
LIFE!!
You are in charge of YOUR future and Taking A Chance and having
Faith is trusting that God will use you for His purposes and
Glory! Take A Chance and make God smile!!!
-Traci
Tille, Iowa
Memories
are a part of the oral tradition, passing on things that happened
in life. Perception is everything, unless corrected it will
lie as it stands.
I'm
the oldest of twelve children. My mother has always been
my best pal. There's something special being number one,
alas, along with that comes responsibilities, many times
unwanted but thrust upon you.
I
got to play the Huck Finn role for a few very formative
years in the Missouri Ozarks, barefoot all summer, fishing,
stealing green apples to be flavored by a sliver off the
cattle's salt lick. Then we came to Kansas, a large rundown
farm in the county past the city limits. More fishing and
hunting as I grew a little older. Time, often hard times,
flew through the school years and before you knew it I was
a young man butting heads with a hard working, headstrong,
alcoholic dad.
I
was ready to head out on my own, run away from the life
that had aged me beyond my years. Age seventeen I was in
the Navy, kind of from the frying pan to the fire. I served
four and a half years traveling the western hemisphere including
tours in the Golf of Tonkin protecting our navy and marine
pilots as they bombed Vietnam. Back to California, a beautiful
blonde, my first son and settling down to life in real time.
We
came to Kansas City, Kansas to begin a new life with our
small family, challenges came in the form or epilepsy for
Eric our son, it was severe and back then not to much was
being done to control things like that. It was a pretty
scary thing for young newlyweds to handle something like
that. Six years later Kevin came into our lives and we had
the all American family. My poor wife was in culture shock
to say the least coming from a two child California life
style to a huge family and the Midwestern way of life.
I
could eat up a lot of space with the small things in life
that have been challenge's, some big, some not so big, but
still challenging.
I
never had much of a father son relationship with my dad.
He contracted cancer and they didn't give him much of a
chance to live. They operated on him and performed what
I would consider a miracle; He pulled through and survived
for several more years until his hard lifestyle brought
the disease back to him. I finally got to tell him I loved
him, just before he passed on. I have always been an entrepreneur
and owned a small tavern, one quiet night I was near closing
and a scuffle broke out and in the ensuing efforts to break
it up I was shot twice through the throat and body. I survived,
but my first marriage didn't.
The
boys and I pulled it together and for the next five years
bach'ed it. Then came a new bride, Kathy to bring order
(sic) into the world. One weekend Kathy and I were in Dallas,
Texas and came home to find Eric had passed away in his
sleep at his apartment. It was devastating. We survived
but things change and are never the same when someone that
important is snatched from your life. The three of us pulled
together. Life went on. Tragedy struck again when our second
son Kevin was killed in a gun accident, Christmas Eve, there
wasn't much celebration on that holiday. Kathy and I pulled
it together again, getting tougher each time, I know now
we could not have done any of this without the Lord's help
through it all. Life throws many things at you, sometimes
knocking you down and many times you wonder, if you want
to get back up, but you do.
We
had an unwanted visitor that silently came upon us when
I was diagnosed with cancer, third out of four stages into
it, chemo twenty four seven, radiation five days a week
and finally 8 hours on the table, I guess God is not done
with me yet.
Too
often we take for granted the simplest of things in life,
children, health, a spouses love. Don't take them for granted,
embrace them like there is no tomorrow. Often times a person
will think of what they would do if there were only a few
weeks or days left in their lives and all of the things
they would want to do before they passed on, then they'd
make a run for it. Don't do it, hug the ones you love and
tell them how you feel, don't put it off till tomorrow.
Live life like you were dying. God will take care of you
on both sides of life, but, he expects you to take charge
here.
Larry
Elevier
